Scottish Executive

Caledonian MacBrayne

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it can give to Caledonian MacBrayne staff that their employment terms will not be undermined by putting services out to tender.

Nicol Stephen: We attach great importance to the future of the Caledonian MacBrayne workforce and will do all I can to protect jobs and pensions.

Conservation

Alex Fergusson (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions Scottish Natural Heritage has surveyed the raised bog at Aucheninnes Moss; what the nature and purpose of each site survey was; whether any survey contained a quantitative assessment of the extent of active bog vegetation, and whether such surveys contained a detailed assessment of the populations of Coenonympha tullia (Large Heath Butterfly), Matrioptera brachyptera (Bog Bush-Cricket) and Enteucha acetosae (Sorrel Pygmy Moth).

Allan Wilson: This information is not held centrally.

Diabetes

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for diabetic eye screening.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is working with NHS boards to provide diabetic retinopathy screening to all people with diabetes by March 2006.

Enterprise

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when its Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department will make an announcement on plans after 2005 for the £2.25 million allocated annually to fund the employability services for the drug users' element of the New Futures Fund.

Lewis Macdonald: The Department will discuss with the enterprise networks, in the context of their planning process, employability objectives for disadvantaged groups after March 2005. The outcome of these discussions, which will be informed by progress on mainstreaming New Futures Fund, will be reflected in the enterprise networks operational plans for 2005-06. The department will ask the networks to alert NFF projects to the implications as soon as possible.

Europe

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in achieving the goals set out in the European Union's Lisbon Agenda.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive does not regularly monitor Scottish progress towards achieving the Lisbon Agenda. We do not have any plans to add the Lisbon goals on top of the commitments we have identified as our policy priorities, because the overarching Lisbon goal of creating a competitive, job-creating, knowledge-based economy characterised by growth, social cohesion, and respect for the environment parallels our own vision for the Scottish economy.

  In a letter I sent to you as the Convener of the European and External Relations Committee on 10 March 2004, I provided information and statistical analysis on how Scotland is currently performing against the fourteen structural indicators the EU uses to gauge member countries' progress towards the Lisbon objectives.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) submission it made and (b) its response is to the Prime Minister's strategy unit's inquiry into the UK fishing industry.

Allan Wilson: The report is a "to" Government report and as such is not a statement of policy. It is for the Scottish Executive to formulate a response to each of the recommendations and our intention is to work in partnership with the industry on this over the summer.

  Our aim is to respond more definitively with an implementation plan later in the year.

  However, the Executive welcomes the broad conclusions of the report, particularly the recognition that the industry has a potentially bright future if all the players make the right choices now.

  It is particularly reassuring to note that our policy of arguing for more responsibility to be given to the proposed regional advisory councils has been vindicated. The current system of centralised decision-making no longer enjoys the confidence of the industry and the case for change has been made.

  Scottish Executive ministers and officials were involved with the Strategy Unit project from the start and contributed to all aspects of the work on a daily basis.

  The Executive now intends to work with the industry and others to pull together an implementation plan which will form the basis for a definitive response. Meantime ministers broadly welcome the findings of the report.

General Practitioners

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how out-of-hours services will be provided in areas where GPs opt out under the new contract provisions.

Malcolm Chisholm: In cases where GPs decide to transfer their responsibility for out-of-hours care NHS boards must have alternative arrangements for the provision of these services in place by the end of December 2004. Such arrangements will need to meet mandatory accreditation standards to ensure a safe, quality service.

  NHS boards are currently developing their plans for out-of-hours service re-provision and are being assisted by a national out-of-hours working group. This group is comprised of key stakeholders from across the service and includes members from NHS24, the Scottish Ambulance Service and patient representatives. In addition, three key senior appointments have been made to the Pay Modernisation Team of NHS Scotland to focus on the new models of out-of-hours care across Scotland.

Genetically Modified Crops

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that Chardon LL maize has satisfied EU regulations concerning distinctness, uniformity and stability.

Allan Wilson: Yes. Chardon LL underwent testing in France in accordance with the internationally recognised methods and the protocol adopted by the Community Plant Variety Office as required by the EU legislation.

Genetically Modified Crops

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the farm scale evaluation gives a true indication of any environmental harm caused by Chardon LL maize, in light of the conclusions of the recent report of the Westminster Environmental Audit Committee GM Food – Evaluating the field scale trials.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive, the Science Review, and the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) are all satisfied that the methods used in the farm scale trials for both design and analysis were valid and robust. They are the most extensive and thorough evaluations of their kind in the world, and gave a clear picture of the changes in biodiversity caused by different herbicide regimes used on genetically modified (GM) and conventional crops, including maize.

  ACRE recommended that studies were initiated to consider the validity of the results in light of the phasing out of Atrazine. Further analysis of the farm scale evaluation (FSE) data has been published in the peer reviewed scientific journal Nature. This work concludes that the banning of Atrazine is unlikely to undermine the conclusions of the FSEs.

Health

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will initiate pilot studies and a cost-benefit analysis of exercise on prescription from NHS doctors.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive is committed to improving health and reducing inequalities in health. There are no current plans to initiate pilot studies and a cost-benefit analysis of exercise on prescription by NHS doctors. However, there are a number of local exercise initiatives in place which are the subject of review and evaluation. Exercise referral schemes are just one type of intervention that can be used to promote physical activity for health gain. It is important to emphasise the broad range of actions being supported to promote physical activity. Physical activity is one element of the national and local approach to improve health and reduce inequalities.

Housing

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which housing associations are to be audited in the coming year.

Ms Margaret Curran: A list of 50 registered social landlords (RSLs) has been identified for possible inspection in 2004-05. Details of this list have been lodged in the Parliament's reference centre (Bib. number 31921). From this list around 35 RSLs will be selected for inspection.

Housing

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5903 by Ms Margaret Curran on 13 February 2004, whether there are any specific initiatives aimed at providing good quality affordable housing for public sector workers.

Ms Margaret Curran: The principal mechanism for funding affordable housing is the Communities Scotland Development Programme. It provides new and improved housing to replace or improve poor quality housing and seeks to help people on low incomes to rent social housing or buy a home in areas where demand exceeds supply or where market prices are beyond the reach of their incomes.

  This new housing is available to meet the most pressing housing need, including that of public sector workers and programmes are developed in close consultation with partners, based upon local housing market and needs analysis. In due course they will be informed by the local housing strategies prepared by each local authority.

Justice

Christine May (Central Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in accrediting programmes to tackle offending behaviour.

Cathy Jamieson: Accreditation of programmes has a key part to play in reducing reoffending by supporting the consistent delivery of effective practice in offender management programmes and promoting continuous quality improvements.

  Reduce, Rehabilitate, Reform – the Executive's consultation on reducing reoffending – is currently seeking views on how we can build on these advances to improve the effectiveness and consistency of the management of offenders across Scotland.

National Health Service

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will meet its target to bring 12,000 nurses and midwives into the NHS by 2007.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is firmly committed to more nurses and midwives working in NHSScotland.

  The partnership agreement commits to attracting 12,000 qualified nurses and midwives into NHSScotland by 2007. We remain on track to deliver against this target.

National Health Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure co-operation between neighbouring NHS boards.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive will continue to promote co-operation between boards in NHSScotland, the NHS Reform bill's duty of co-operation on health boards being one aspect of this. The existing framework for regional planning is also being strengthened.

National Health Service

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the introduction of NHS 24 has had upon ambulance call-out rates.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS 24 referrals currently account for some 4% of the Ambulance Service's emergency and urgent workload.

National Health Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a standard code of conduct is applied to all members of NHS boards.

Malcolm Chisholm: All NHS board members are expected to comply with a Code of Conduct, which has been approved by the Scottish ministers, and which has been based on a standard Model Code of Conduct.

National Health Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the terms of the code of conduct agreed by NHS Argyll and Clyde on 8 March 2004 were and whether these terms differ from any standard code for NHS boards.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Argyll and Clyde's Code of Conduct for board members is available from the system headquarters at Ross House, Paisley.

  All public bodies covered by the ethical standards regime have to have a Code of Conduct in place that is based on the Model Code of Conduct for Members of Devolved Public Bodies, under the terms of the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000.

  Argyll and Clyde NHS board members are covered by such a code, and have adopted a code that also includes, as an annex, an extract of text on best practice guidance for members of public bodies, published by the Scottish Executive in February 2003.

National Health Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is consistent with the code of conduct of NHS Argyll and Clyde for elected councillors, who are members of the board, to meet the Minister for Health and Community Care as part of a local authority delegation.

Malcolm Chisholm: Yes.

National Health Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1914 by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 September 2003, whether NHS Argyll and Clyde will respond as indicated.

Malcolm Chisholm: I understand that the Chief Executive of NHS Argyll and Clyde met with you on 2 October 2003 to address the points you raised in question S2W-1914. He has undertaken to write to you providing an update on the position.

National Health Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3779 by Malcolm Chisholm on 21 November 2003, when local communities, elected members and clinicians will be involved in the process of considering the report from NHS Argyll and Clyde and NHS Greater Glasgow on the pattern of patient choice for consultant-led maternity units in their area.

Malcolm Chisholm: Whilst this is primarily a matter for NHS Argyll and Clyde and NHS Greater Glasgow, I have been assured that key stakeholders in both areas will continue to be involved in this process.

National Health Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the process of engagement between NHS Argyll and Clyde and NHS Greater Glasgow is in taking forward the clinical strategy for NHS Argyll and Clyde; what personnel are involved in the process; how many meetings have taken place between the two boards; what issues were discussed at such meetings, and what the outcomes were.

Malcolm Chisholm: I am aware that NHS Greater Glasgow is represented on NHS Argyll and Clyde's modernisation group which was established last year to take the work on their clinical strategy forward.

  I am also conscious that there have been a number of meetings on this subject between the senior management of the two NHS boards. The Chief Executive of NHS Argyll and Clyde has undertaken to write to you in response to your detailed questions.

Patient Transport

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on patient transport from the Vale of Leven Hospital to the Royal Alexandra Hospital, in particular how much has been spent by NHS Argyll and Clyde in transporting patients by taxi, following the changes to accident and emergency services, and what the average cost of an individual taxi journey has been during this period.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

Race Relations

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with Strathclyde Police in respect of any racially discriminatory entry policies operated by any Glasgow nightclubs.

Cathy Jamieson: I understand from Strathclyde Police that they are not aware of any specific issues relating to racially discriminatory entry policies in nightclubs and have received no complaints from the public. Refusal of entry to a nightclub on the grounds of a person's race could amount to discrimination in the provision of facilities or services, which is unlawful under section 20 of the Race Relations Act 1976. It is primarily for the Commission for Racial Equality to enforce the 1976 Act.

Rail Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the costs of the Waverley Station upgrade will be met by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA).

Nicol Stephen: The SRA chairs the group planning the redevelopment of Waverley Station. Discussions are on-going and decisions, including funding, will be announced in due course.

Recycling

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to increase the number of recycling points in rural areas.

Allan Wilson: So far, £120 million has been awarded from the Strategic Waste Fund to 22 local authorities for the three years to 2006. These resources are helping to fund a variety of initiatives including kerbside recycling and an increased number of recycling points in both rural and urban areas.

Schools

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any regional variation in the rates by which school rolls will fall.

Peter Peacock: Yes, there are wide variations in the rates at which pupil rolls decline in the future between local authorities.

Scottish Executive Finance

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of its administration and associated departments' total spending of £243.19 million (real terms) in 2003-04, £243.79 million (real terms) in 2004-05 and £240.78 million (real terms) in 2005-06, as detailed in the Draft Budget 2004-05, will be spent on staff costs.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of its finance and public service portfolio's spending of £8,110.72 million (real terms) in 2003-04, £8,290.38 million (real terms) in 2004-05 and £8,503.95 million (real terms) in 2005-06, as detailed in the Draft Budget 2004-05, will be spent on staff costs.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of its environment and rural development portfolio's total spending of £1,137.54 million (real terms) in 2003-04, £1,124.96 million (real terms) in 2004-05 and £1,123.05 million (real terms) in 2005-06, as detailed in the Draft Budget 2004-05, will be spent on staff costs.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of its transport portfolio total spending of £1,174.52 million (real terms) in 2003-04, £1,218.89 million (real terms) in 2004-05 and £1,313.78 million (real terms) in 2005-06, as detailed in the Draft Budget 2004-05, will be spent on staff costs.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of its communities portfolio's total spending of £832.62 million (real terms) in 2003-04, £858.29 million (real terms( in 2004-05 and £860.20 million (real terms) in 2005-06, as detailed in the Draft Budget 2004-05, will be spent on staff costs.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of its enterprise and lifelong learning portfolio's total spending of £2,351.29 million (real terms) in 2003-04, £2,404.24 million (real terms) in 2004-05 and £2,438.17 million (real terms) in 2005-06, as detailed in the Draft Budget 2004-05, will be spent on staff costs.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of its health and community care portfolio's total spending of £7,251.08 million (real terms) in 2003-04, £7,640.09 million (real terms) in 2004-05 and £8,119.80 million (real terms) in 2005-06, as detailed in the Draft Budget 2004-05, will be spent on staff costs.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of its tourism culture and sport portfolio's total spending of £206.06 million (real terms) in 2003-04, £227.30 million (real terms) in 2004-05 and £252.59 million (real terms) in 2005-06, as detailed in the Draft Budget 2004-05, will be spent on staff costs.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of its education and young people portfolio's total spending of £281.40 million (real terms) in 2003-04, £362.00 million (real terms) in 2004-05 and £386.39 million (real terms) in 2005-06, as detailed in the Draft Budget 2004-05, will be spent on staff costs.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service's total spending of £87.90 million (real terms) in 2003-04, £87.59 million (real terms) in 2004-05 and £88.04 million (real terms) in 2005-06, as detailed in the Draft Budget 2004-05, will be spent on staff costs.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of its justice portfolio's total spending of £755.29 million (real terms) in 2003-04, £783.97 million (real terms) in 2004-05 and £792.52 million (real terms) in 2005-06, as detailed in the Draft Budget 2004-05, will be spent on staff costs.

Mr Andy Kerr: This answer addresses this and questions S2W-6881 to S2W-6990 answered on 25 March 2004, in which similar information for the Executive's other portfolios is sought. Whilst the exact figures are not available, the following comparable information may be helpful. As the proportion of budgets spent on staff costs will not change significantly from year to year, the following figures cover 2005-06 only, and are on a cash basis.

  The administration portfolio covers all the Executive's own internal staff costs for all portfolios. Plans for 2005-06 are for £176 million gross or £163 million net of that portfolio's budget to be used for pay and pensions costs. But this covers only the Executive's own staff costs, so that it is not a reflection of how much of the Scottish budget is finally spent on pay. It will for example exclude major elements of budgets spent on staff costs that are classified either as outside the relevant accounting boundaries or fall in the private sector, such as local authority and NHS pay and pay in further and higher Education institutions, and that element of the Executive's funding for concessionary fares that supports private sector drivers' pay.

  We can make estimates of how much of the budget supports staff costs in this widest sense, but cannot provide exact figures, since this depends on decisions by a wide range of bodies, many of whom are fully independent of the Executive. Those estimates suggest that around 50% of the total Scottish budget is spent on pay and other staff costs. The following table shows an estimate of the percentage of each portfolio's budget that supports staff costs in this widest sense. These estimates serve only to give an indication of the relative importance of staff costs in each portfolio – they are not robust enough to make conversion into precise budgetary figures meaningful.

 Portfolio  % staff costsAdmin and Associated Depts  70Environment and Rural Affairs  23Health and Community Care  60Education and Young People  73Justice   76Finance and Public Services  n/a*Enterprise and Lifelong Learning  38Transport  -**Communities  3Tourism, Culture and Sport  20Crown Office  59   

  Notes:

  *Most spending by local authorities on pay is shown under the relevant portfolio, so for example teachers' pay falls under the Education and Young People portfolio.

  **Data is not available for the % of transport grants, for example, for rail, spent on pay.

Tourism

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will continue to support local area destination marketing within the new VisitScotland structure.

Mr Frank McAveety: Much work has still to be done on the detail of the new tourism network, but area destination marketing will be carried out by the tourism hubs which will comprise the network.

Waste Management

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce industrial and domestic waste arisings.

Allan Wilson: We support bodies such as Envirowise which provide advice to business on waste minimisation. On domestic waste, we are funding a programme by the Waste and Resources Action Programme which includes work on real nappies; home composting and work with retailers. We also support the public awareness work of the Scottish Waste Awareness Group and local authority activities through the Strategic Waste Fund. The National Waste Plan states that the Executive will aim to stop growth in the amount of municipal waste produced by 2010.

Waste Management

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what contracts regarding sewage sludge disposal are currently out to tender.

Allan Wilson: This is an operational matter for the Chief Executive of Scottish Water and I have asked him to write to you about this matter.